Rotary folding mechanism



March 1941- w. WORTHINGTON 2,236,229

ROTARY FOLDING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 28, 1959 fl- 9 90 5. ATTORNEYS March 25, 194-1. E w WQRTHINGTON 2,236,229

ROTARY FOLDING MECHANISM Filed March. 28, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I. MENTOR March 25,1941. a: w. WORTHINGTON I 229 norm: FOLDING mncnmxsu Filed March 28, 1939 I s SheetsSheet;-'-S

527 :iblVi-INTOR 7 7ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES ROTARY FOLDING MECHANISM Emory W. Worthington, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Goss Printing Press Company, Chicago, Ill.,

a corporation of Illinois Application March 28, 1939, Serial No. 264,513

1 Claim.

The invention relates to new and useful im provements in folding and delivery mechanisms for rotary printing presses, and more particularly to such improvements in the structure, design 5 and assembling of folding and delivery units, and

in the delivery and other mechanisms.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claim.

The invention consists in the novel parts,con-

structions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one em bodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation, with the lower front frame broken away, of a rotary folding mechanism embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic elevation corresponding to Fig. 1.

Objects of the invention are to provide strong,

simple, inexpensive and easily assemblable folding mechanisms for rotary printing presses; to

provide such folding mechanisms consisting of a plurality of previously assembled units, that is, the folder comprises a plurality of frame units, in which units the various folding and delivering mechanisms are assembled and mounted at the factory and shipped, and thereafter all that is required at the operating locus of the press is to 40 assemble these frame units together, thereby obviating all work of assembling the folder elements in their frames at the operating locus; to provide an arrangement and relative positioning of the various folder mechanisms in convenient and compact form, and at the same time providing maximum accessibility, especially for removal of folded products; to provide improvements in spa. cific mechanisms looking to smoother, more rapid and more efficient performance. With these and other objects in view a lower folder frame unit is provided, comprising side frames and suitable connecting cross frame members, rotary cutting and cross-folding means, a delivery'fly, and an endless belt delivery mechanism being mounted between said side frames. A superior or upper guiding roller 29 which directs it to the cutting folder frame unit is provided having a verticallydisposed frame adapted to rest upon, and to be fastened to the top of a side frame of said lower or inferior unit, there being a former mounted on said superior frame member, and extending out 5 over and above the above-mentioned mechanisms mounted in the inferior folder unit. These folder frame units may be assembled on the operating locus of the press to constitute the complete operating folder by merely superimposing and fastening the frames together. A single drive shaft may be mounted on the assembled frame members to drive the former head rolls from the cross-folding and delivery mechanism. The im-- proved arrangement of the various folder and delivery mechanisms, and the improvements in particular mechanisms will be set out in connection with the following detailed description.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, a folder mechanism is shown comprising two frame units, one superposed on the other. The lower frame unit comprises two vertically-disposed parallel side frames 1 and 2, the front frame 2 being mostly broken 25 away in Fig. 1, but being substantially a duplicate of frame I. The two side frames are connected across at the bottom by cross-frame pieces 3, 4 and 5, and are likewise connected together at the top by cross frame bars 6 and l, the right hand end (Fig. 1) being free from cross obstructions so as to provide free access to the delivery end of the delivery belt conveyor 4|. Located between the cross frames I and 2, is a cross-folding cylinder [2, which may be of any desired form, and is mounted on a shaft 13, journaled in the cross frames.

The cylinder I2 is shown with two recessed sheet-cutting bars 14 and 15, two sets of impaling pins I8 and I9, and two rotary cross-folding 40 blades I6 and I! which may be of known forms. The folding blades and impaling pins are all provided with suitable actuating means, not shown. Cooperating with the folding cylinder is a cutting cylinder 2 I, mounted on a shaft 22, journaled 45 in the side frames, and provided with a cutting knife 23. Likewise journaled in the side frames 1 and 2 is a pair of web drawing rollers 21 and 28, which draw the web w from the former, and a and folding cylinder [2. The cross-folding blades I6 and 19 fold off the product into a pair of folding rollers 34 and 35, and these direct the crossfolded productinto the pockets 36 of a rotary fly 3'', which is mounted on a shaft 38, journaled 55 in the folder side frames I and 2. A delivery stop 39 serves to eject the folded papers from the fly pockets 36 onto the delivery.

The delivery as embodied comprises a plurality of belts II, which at their rear ends run over an idler roller 42, journaled in arms 43, which are held in fixed position on a shaft 45, but are angularly adjustable on the shaft by means of clamping screws 45.. Engaging and supporting the upper reach of the belts M, and located forwardly on the opposite side of the fly delivery, is a supporting and positioning roller 5 I mounted in arm 52, which arms are fixed to a shaft 53, journaled in the folder side frames I and 2. The rollers 42 and 5I may be raised or lowered to regulate the clearance between the diSCs of the fiy and the delivery belt. At the forward or delivery end, the delivery belts 4| run over a driving roller 55, fixed on a shaft 56, which is journaled in the folder side frame, the driving roller 55 drawing and tensioning the upper, loaded reach of the delivery belts. Fixed on and driving shaft 56 is a sprocket wheel 57, over which runs a sprocket chain 58, said chain also running over a sprocket wheel 59, keyed on a sleeve which is mounted on a stud 60, which is supported in the frame I. Fixed to rotate with the sprocket 59 is a driving pinion BI, also mounted on said sleeve on the stud. A pair of tensioning or slack-taking rollers 63 and 64 engage with the lower or idle reach of the belts 4 I the roller 84 being mounted on a pair of arms 65, fixed on the shaft 66 of roller 63, the angular positioning of these arms regulating the tension of the belts.

As embodied, the cutting and folding mechanism, and the fly delivery are arranged substantially to one side of a vertical plane passing centrally through the press and through the nose or peak of the former, leaving thus a large proportion of unoccupied space within and above the frames I and 2 at the opposite side from said mechanisms. The belt delivery extends across from the fly 31 to the opposite side of the folder frame, conveying the folded product across to the free and relatively unobstructed side of the folder frame unit. The drive at the delivery end of the belts 4I keeps the upper, loaded reach of the belts continuously under tension and obviates sagging, jerking or uneven movement of the folded product lying upon and being progressed by the belt, and the space above the delivery end of the belt delivery is entirely free and unobstructed.

As here embodied, the upper folder frame unit comprises a vertically-disposed, transversely-positioned frame I0, having footings II that rest upon the top of the inner frame member I of the bottom unit, and are securely bolted thereto. Mounted on the frame I0 is a former I2, which projects forwardly from the frame I0 and overhangs the web cutting, cross-folding, and other mechanisms mounted in the frames I and 2, and is in position to deliver the running and longitudinally-folded web thereto. The former is provided with pinch rollers 13 from which the web runs into the drawing rollers 2! and 28 previously described.

A suitable head roller I5, of any suitable form, directs the web or webs coming from the press onto the former I2. Means are provided for driving these former head rollers from a drive mounted in the lower frame unit, and as shown, a bevel pinion I9 is fixed on the shaft of the roll I5. Meshing with the bevel pinion I9 is a bevel pinion 83, fixed on a shaft 84, which shaft is ournaled in a bracket 85, mounted onthe frame 10, and in brackets 86 and 87, mounted on the side frame I of the lower frame unit. Fixed on the lower end of shaft 84 is a bevel pinion 88, which meshes with a bevel pinion 89, fixed on a shaft 90, journaled in a bracket 9I supported from the side frame I. The shaft 90 may be driven from the press drive in any suitable manner. As here shown, and in accordance with one feature of the invention, the drive to the head roller I5 of the former is direct from a drive shaft at the bottom of the frame and is effected by a single shaft having gear connection to said drive shaft and to the gear I9 on the head roll shaft. This provides a minimum of parts, and eliminates the gear play present in the gear train drives commonly used. There is, therefore, an almost instantaneous response of the former head roller I5 whenever the shaft 90 turns. Furthermore this driving connection is entirely within the folder frame, and there is no occasion for guards around outside moving parts such as are commonly employed.

The cross-folding mechanism, the fly delivery, and the belt delivery, and the other associated and cooperating mechanisms, may all be assembled in the lower frame unit at the factory, and then be shipped as a unit; and in like manner, the upper frame unit, the former and associated parts, may be assembled at the factory and shipped. Then at the operating locus of the press, it is only necessary to place the upper frame I0 in position upon the lower frame unit and bolt it in position, and then mount the driving shaft 84 in position upon the frames, and the folder is ready to be operated.

In Fig. 3a general drive for the mechanism of the lower frame unit is shown, and therein a gear is fixed on the shaft 90 and meshes with an idler 96, which meshes in turn with the gear 91. A gear 98 on the shaft of the cutting cylinder 2| meshes with gear 91 and with a gear 99, fixed on the shaft of the folding cylinder I2. A gear I00 is-fixed also on the folding cylinder shaft and meshes with an idler IOI,,which drives the gears I02 of thedrawing rollers2I and 28. A gear I04 meshes with the gear I00 and drives the pinion I05 for one of the folding-off rollers. The other folding off roller is driven by a gear I06 which meshes with the gear I00. A gear I09 is fixed on the shaft of gear 9! and meshes with a gear 0 fixed on the'shaft of the rotary fly. Also fixed on said shaft is a'gear III which meshes with a gear I I 2 keyed to the sleeve which is mounted on'studIiO. Also keyed to said sleeve is the sprocket 59 which drives the driving belt roller. Gear 6I, which meshes with a gear H4, is journaled on the fly shaft and serves to operate the kicker mechanism (not shown).

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claim without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is: I

In a rotary printing press folding mechanism in combination a frame, a former mounted in said frame,a head roller for the former, a crossfolder mounted in saidframe to which the web is fed from the former,; a drive shaft at the bot tom of the frame and a shaft within said frame having direct gear connection with said drive shaft and with said head roller.

EMORY W. WORTHINGTON. 

